Cycle helmet collapsible compartment

ABSTRACT

Three concentric rings are diametrically interconnected for pivoting movement of the two inner rings and positioning the respective rings in planes perpendicular with respect to each other to form an open frame cage.

United States Patent- Inventor R. C. Walker 713 Highland Parkway, Norman, Okla. 73069 App]. No. 868,1 19

Filed Oct. 21, 1969 Patented Sept. 14, 1971 CYCLE HELMET COLLAPSIBLE COMPARTMENT 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 248/309,

150/49, 220/6, 248/203, 248/293 Int. Cl B65d 7/24 Field of Search 248/309,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,654 11/1883 Morse 150/49 1,666,568 4/1928 Jackson 248/293 2,127,607 8/1938 Levow... 220/6 X 2,498,663 2/1950 Easley 224/33 3,240,407 3/1966 Boak 248/203 Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Robert K, Rhea ABSTRACT: Three concentric rings are diametrically interconnected for pivoting movement of the two inner rings and positioning the respective rings in planes perpendicular with respect to each other to form an open frame cage.

PATENTED SEP] 4197:

FIG.7

INVENTOR FIG. 8

R. c. WALKER lli/I'll t CYCLE HELMET COLLAPSIBLE COMPARTMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to a container for a cycle helmet when not in use.

As a safety precaution, it is necessary that the riders of powered two-wheel vehicles, such as motorcycles, or the like, wear a safety helmet when operating the vehicle. These safety helmets are formed of relatively hard material which covers a substantial portion of a user's head and includes rodlike bars forming a guard over the face area. These helmets are cumbersome and are not usually worn when the cycle is not being operated. In order to prevent loss of the helmet, by theft, the owner usually carries the helmet with him. Because of its rigid bulky configuration, carrying the helmet, when not in use, constitutes an inconvenience, such as when attending ball games or other events. It is, therefore, desirable that some means he provided for protecting the helmet from unauthorized use and whereby the helmet can be left with the cycle until it is next used.

This invention accomplishes this function by providing a cage or collapsible compartment which is permanently attached to the cycle.

2. Description of the Prior Art I do not know of any patents disclosing a device like this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Three concentric rings, diametrically greater than a cycle helmet, are diametrically interconnected for pivoting movement of the innermost rings for positioning the rings in three perpendicular planes forming a cage surrounding a cycle helmet. A peripheral portion of the outermost ring is connected with bracket means in turn connected with a standard fixed to a lateral side of the rear wheel position of a cycle. The bracket means permits vertical pivoting movement of the concentrically disposed rings toward and away from the plane of the cycle rear wheel.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a lockable collapsible cagelike compartment for holding a cycle helmet and wherein the device does not appreciably add to the width of the cycle when in collapsed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device in collapsed position connected with a fragment of a cycle, illustrated by dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, to a larger scale, of the device, per se;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device in helmet holding position illustrating its connection with a fragment of the cycle and illustrating, by dotted lines, its collapsed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, to a slightly larger scale, of the device, per se, in helmet-holding and locked position;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view, to an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are horizontal and vertical sectional views, respectively, to a further enlarged scale, taken, respectively, along the lines 77 and 88 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates a motorcycle, or the like, having a rear wheel 12 supported by an axle l4 and having a rear fender 16.

The numeral 20 indicates the device, as a whole, which is flat circular in general configuration when mounted on the cycle 10 and in its collapsed position. The device 20 comprises three endless concentric rings 22, 24, and 26. The outermost ring 22 is connected with bracket means 28 secured to a standard or support 30 in turn connected with the cycle 10 as hereinafter described.

The standard 30 comprises a straplike length of metallic material having a lip 32 struck out laterally and upward from its uppermost end portion for engaging a depending edge portion of the cycle fender 16. The depending end portion of the standard 30 is bifurcated to form a downwardly open slot for receiving an outermost end portion of the cycle axle l4 and is held in place by the conventional axle nut.

The bracket means 28 is hingelike and comprises a U- shaped hinge leaf portion 34 having an apertured bight portion 36 flatly connected with the upper end portion of the standard 30 by bolts 38. The U-shaped hinge leaf is provided with leg portions 40 and 42, substantially right triangular in front elevation, each having a convex surface 44 terminating, at its respective ends, in arcuate recesses 46 and 48. The other hinge leaf of the bracket means 28 comprises a channelshaped member 50 which is connected at one end portion with a peripheral portion of the outer ring 22. The opposite end portion of the hinge leaf 50 is pivotally connected by its leg members 52 and 54 between the legs 40 and 42 by a hinge pin 56. The legs 52 and 54 of the hinge leaf 50 are transversely slotted, as at 58, in aligned relation intermediate their ends, for slidably receiving a shaft 60 which projects beyond the planes of the respective outer side surfaces of the legs 40 and 42 of the hinge leaf 34. Medially its ends, the shaft 60 is connected to the central portion of the hinge pin 56 by a spring 62 which tends to draw the shaft 60 toward the hinge pin. The respective opposing end portions of the shaft 60 slidably contact the convex surfaces 44 of the legs of the U-shaped hinge leaf 34 and are normally disposed within the recess 46 or 48 as hereinafter explained.

The endless rings 22, 24 and 26 are preferably formed of strap material but obviously could be formed of material having other cross section configuration, such as circular or hexagonal. The rings are shown as circular but obviously could be formed in other configurations such as polygonal. The outermost ring 22 is secured to the intermediate ring 24 by a first pair of diametrically opposed rivets or pivot pins 64 spaced with respect to the connection with the channellike hinge leaf 50 for pivoting movement of the intermediate ring about the axis of the pivot pins 64. The inner ring 26 is similarly secured to the intermediate ring 24 by a second pair of diametrically opposed rivets or pivot pins 66 spaced 90 with respect to the first pair of pivot pins 64 so that the inner ring 26 may be pivoted about the axis of the pivot pins 66. The spacing between the rings 22, 24 and 26, when concentrically disposed in a common plane, is relatively close but spacedapart a sufiicient distance by a thin washer 65, so that the intermediate and inner rings may be pivoted about the respective axis of their pairs of pivot pins to prevent binding between the rings when pivoted out of the common plane. The three rings are lined drilled, as at 67, when concentrically disposed for receiving the hasp 68 of a lock 70 to maintain the three rings in a collapsed position of the device.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the device is placed in its expanded position by manually lifting the concentric rings from their dotted line position of FIG. 3, in a vertical pivoting action, wherein the shaft 60 slides across the hinge leaf arcuate surfaces 44 to be received by the upper recess 48 which resiliently locks the device with the outermost ring 22 disposed in a horizontal plane. After removing the lock 70, the intermediate ring 24 is pivoted about its connecting pivots pins 64 to lie in a vertical plane spaced 90 with respect to the plane of the outer ring 22. The users cycle helmet, indicated by the dotted lines 72, is then positioned within the innermost ring 26 and this inner ring is pivoted about the axis of its connecting pivot pins 66 to lie in a vertical plane spaced 90 with respect to the planes of the outer ring 22 and intermediate ring 24 thus forming an open framework cage surrounding the cycle helmet and preventing its removal while the three rings are respectively disposed in the vertical and horizontal planes. The three rings 22, 24 and 26 are maintained in cage forming position by the lock 70 having its hasp 68 engaged with aligned apertures formed respectively in the outer and inner rings 22 and 26 opposite the bracket means 28.

The cycle helmet is removed by removing the lock 70 and pivoting the inner ring 26 to lie in the plane of the intermediate ring 24. The inner and intermediate rings 26 and 24 are then pivoted to lie in the plane of the outer ring 22. The three rings are then manually forced downwardly to the dotted line position of FIG. 3 wherein the shaft 60 again slides along the arcuate surfaces 44 of the hinge leaf 34 until the end portions of the shaft 60 are received by the recess 46 which resiliently holds the concentric rings in parallel spaced relation with respect to the standard 30.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

I. An article holding collapsible compartment, comprising:

a plurality of concentric ring members comprising an inner ring member, an outer ring member and an intermediate ring member;

a first pair of pivot pins pivotally interconnecting said outer and intennediate ring members at diametrically opposite positions;

a second pair of pivot pins pivotally interconnecting said intermediate and inner ring members at diametrically pposite positions in 90 spaced relation with respect to said first pair of pins, said ring members lying in a common plane when said compartment is in collapsed position,

said ring members lying in separate planes disposed in right angular relation with respect to each other when said intermediate andsaid inner ring members are respectively pivoted about the axes of said first and second pairs of pivot pins to an article holding position; and, means maintaining said ring members in compartment collapsed and article holding position, respectively. 2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said' means comprises: a support; and,

bracket means extending between and connected with said support and an outer surface portion of said outer ring member, respectively. 1 t 1 said means 3. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which comprises:

lock means removably engaging at least two of said ring members.

4. Structure as specified in claim 2 in which said bracket means is hingelike having a hinge pin joining a U-shaped hinge leaf portion with a channel-shaped hinge leaf portion,

said U-shaped hinge leaf having legs,

said legs each having cooperatingly aligned convex surfaces each terminating in a recess at its respective ends; and, means on said channel-shaped hinge leaf frictionally engaging said arcuate surfaces.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4 in which the last mentioned means includes: a detent slidably supported by said channel-shaped hinge leaf.

6. Structure as specified in claim 5 said channel-shaped hinge leaf having legs,

said legs having transversely aligned slots formed therein,

said detent comprising a shaft extending through the channel leg slots; and, spring means normally urging said shaft toward said hinge pin. 

1. An article holding collapsible compartment, comprising: a plurality of concentric ring members comprising an inner ring member, an outer ring member and an intermediate ring member; a first pair of pivot pins pivotally interconnecting said outer and intermediate ring members at diametrically opposite positions; a second pair of pivot pins pivotally interconnecting said intermediate and inner ring members at diametrically opposite positions in 90* spaced relation with respect to said first pair of pins, said ring members lying in a common plane when said compartment is in collapsed position, said ring members lying in separate planes disposed in right angular relation with respect to each other when said intermediate and said inner ring members are respectively pivoted about the axes of said first and second pairs of pivot pins to an article holding position; and, means maintaining said ring members in compartment collapsed and article holding position, respectively.
 2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said means comprises: a support; and, bracket means extending between and connected with said support and an outer surface portion of said outer ring member, respectively.
 3. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said means comprises: lock means removably engaging at least two of said ring members.
 4. Structure as specified in claim 2 in which said bracket means is hingelike having a hinge pin joining a U-shaped hinge leaf portion with a channel-shaped hinge leaf portion, said U-shaped hinge leaf having legs, said legs each having cooperatingly aligned convex surfaces each terminating in a recess at its respective ends; and, means on said channel-shaped hinge leaf frictionally engaging said arcuate surfaces.
 5. Structure as specified in claim 4 in which the last mentioned means includes: a detent slidably supported by said channel-shaped hinge leaf.
 6. Structure as specified in claim 5 said channel-shaped hinge leaf having legs, said legs having transversely aliGned slots formed therein, said detent comprising a shaft extending through the channel leg slots; and, spring means normally urging said shaft toward said hinge pin. 